1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular to an arrangement for removably mounting a transient suppression or electrical filter device in an electrical connector.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It has previously been proposed to place diodes and other nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or transient voltage suppression (TVS) electrical components on electrical contacts for the purpose of facilitating their use in high or medium density electrical connectors. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,710, 4,746,310, and 4,747,789. Present technology, exemplified by the connectors shown in these patents, requires that the component be bonded to the contact by the connector manufacturer.
The step of bonding greatly increases the cost to the connector manufacturer of manufacturing the tom ponent/contact assembly because connector manufacturers ordinarily do not possess the state-of-the-art technology required to permanently bond a semi-conductor diode or other component chip directly to a contact. Therefore, the connector manufacturer is required to either purchase or develop the requisite technology, or to manufacture only the contact and send it back to the diode manufacturer for attachment of the component. Unfortunately, once the component is bonded to the contact, it cannot easily be removed, and thus if either the component or the contact turns out to be defective, both the contact and the component must be discarded, further increasing costs.
Generally, it is the connector manufacturer rather than the component manufacturer who bonds the component to the contact. The connector manufacturer is thus required to handle the component, modify the standard contact, complete the attachment of the component to the contact, and perform screen testing on the contact assembly which is over and above the screening performed by the component manufacturer. Such redundant testing is inefficient, as is the need to handle the component by both the manufacturer and the connector assembler, and the extra steps required to prepare or machine the contact to accommodate the component. All of these disadvantages could be avoided if a satisfactory arrangement existed for non-permanently but securely mounting a component together with a contact in a connector.
In order to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of prior arrangements for removably mounting transient suppression or filter components within connectors, it was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,253 to provide a component mounting arrangement having a component holder slotted to receive the component, a metal contact clip for providing a releasably mechanical and electrical interface between the component and the contact, and a ground plate utilizing integral spring tines for electrically connecting the component to ground and for releasably securing the component in the holder. This arrangement is well-suited for the type of connector shown, and represents a significant improvement over any other prior art arrangements, including the capacitor insert arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,922, which lacks removability for repair and replacement, or the diode chip mounting arrangement for U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,048, which lack mechanical stability and exposes the diode to damage if replacement is attempted.
Despite the above-noted advantages, the present invention proposes to still further improve the mounting arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,253 for most applications, by providing the diode with integral lead structures which replace the separate clip used in the arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,253 to hold the component in place and electrically connect it to the contact pins of the connector. A wide variety of lead arrangements are disclosed in the present specification, each of which is intended to provide an alternative to the design of U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,253, and all of which share the principle of integral lead structures. In many of the embodiments disclose herein, even though the component is removable from the pin contact, it is nevertheless removable with the pin contact, thereby simplifying repair and removal procedures and providing additional mechanical stability and improved electrical characteristics.